Resume the Nabisco Cup, secure victory with further challenges without losing tension

　The Nabisco Cup resumes, and in the third round of the qualifying league, we will face Júbilo Iwata at home. In the previous round, we won the intense Tokyo showdown, and the team's atmosphere is very good. In this round, we want to maintain that tension and momentum without losing it, and carry it over to the next league match.

　However, Coach Jofuku said, "It is difficult to maintain the same level of tension and responsibility immediately after a high-intensity game like the derby. But we will send out players who have been preparing for this moment. Some players may have been inspired by watching the Verdy match, and they have a great enthusiasm. I also hope that this new challenge will have a positive impact on the team." He then mentioned that he will make five changes to the starting lineup from the previous match.

　Furthermore, Hanyu injured his ankle and decided to rest. In this match, Cabore and Hirayama formed the top two, Kurisawa entered the midfield, and the three players who showed their skills in the Verdy match, Konno, Kajiyama, and Kanazawa, formed the midfield. The center-back position was taken by Shigeki Mogi, who recovered from a shoulder injury, and Bruno QUADROS.

　Iwata, who is facing Tokyo, has 3 points in the same group as the Nabisco Cup, ranking 3rd. In the league, they have currently lost 2 consecutive games and seem to be slightly off form, but they were defeated by Urawa and Sapporo in close matches. As shown in the away game on March 23rd, their attacks from fast passing are still strong. It is also necessary to be cautious of the accurate crosses from GK Kawaguchi and MF Komano, who are members of the Japan national team, as well as the aerial duels of MF Nishi and others.

　First of all, we want to compete fiercely in the ball and suppress Iwata's speedy attack. In particular, we need to be cautious about the start of the first and second halves and not get caught up in Iwata's rhythm. It is important to see how long we can take control. We will attack Iwata's space with coordinated movements in both offense and defense and aim for victory! The match started at 19:34 with Iwata's kickoff at the cloudy Ajinomoto Stadium.

Gradually taking control from a cautious battle...

　In the early stages, both teams tried to showcase their strengths, but the game became cautious and defensive. In the 5th minute, Iwata's attacking midfielder Nishi drifted to the left and crossed the ball. Left midfielder Naruoka received the ball and passed it to Ueda, who came running from behind and took a shot, but Shioda made a save. In the 6th and 8th minutes, Tokyo earned corner kicks but failed to take a shot. In the 13th minute, Kanazawa passed the ball and Nagatomo broke through the left front line, splitting the two opposing defenders and attacking from the inside, shooting from the left side of the penalty arc. This was Tokyo's first shot, but it went straight to the goalkeeper.

　However, as time passed, Tokyo gradually grasped the rhythm and proceeded with the game in the Iwata team's territory. In the 17th minute, Kurizawa stole the ball from the opponent's defender on the left side of the Iwata team's territory and dribbled inside. He bravely took a shot at the goal, but it grazed the post and went outside the frame. In the 19th minute, Kajiyama took a shot at the goal. After that, Tokyo frequently obtained corner kicks and free kicks, and threatened the Iwata goal mainly through set plays.

　In the 32nd minute, a big chance arises. Persistently passing the ball within the Iwata team, Kanazawa receives Cabore's pass from the right and quickly passes it to Hirayama in the front line, who jumps out in front of the goal. Despite being approached by the opponent's defender, Hirayama tenaciously returns the ball to Kanazawa. Kanazawa, who has broken free, feints the opponent's defender and creates a decisive one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. However, the shot is blocked by the goalkeeper, and Hirayama takes another shot from the rebound, but it also hits the goalkeeper straight in the face...

　In the 39th minute, there was an accident where Kabore injured his right thigh and was replaced by Akamine in a hurry. Immediately after that, from the early cross of Iwata's right midfielder Komano, Nakayama in front of the goal had a header shot, but the ball went wide. In the 41st minute, Akamine broke through with a pass from Hirayama to the front line and entered the right area by dropping it with his chest. He took a shot from just outside the goal area, but it slightly curved to the left... After that, the game also moved from Akamine's quick start, and in the 44th minute, Imano boldly took a shot from the middle. However, while Tokyo took 10 shots against Iwata's 3, they were unable to break through the Iwata defense. The first half ended with a scoreless draw.

Although they took the lead with Akamine's skillful goal, they were caught up at the end of the game.

　Kanazawa takes advantage of Iwata's cautious approach in the second half and launches an offensive. In the 51st minute, after a throw-in by Tokunaga inside Iwata's territory, Hirayama initially loses the ball but Iwata's attempted pass is intercepted by Kanazawa. Kanazawa quickly sends a lofted pass to the forward line. Akamine breaks free, controls the ball with a trap, bypasses the defender, and scores! With a swift counterattack and Akamine's skillful goal, Kanazawa takes the lead.

　Although they dominated the ball even after taking the lead, they lacked decisiveness in finishing and were unable to score additional points as time passed. In the 62nd minute, Daichi was substituted for Kurizawa in an attempt to change the rhythm and aim for a second goal. In the 65th minute, Hirayama pressed the Iwata defender and stole the ball, passing it to Akamine who was nearby. Akamine took a sharp shot, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper's excellent save and resulted in a corner kick.

　Iwata, who was trailing by one point, brought in FW Manda in the 62nd minute and MF Inuzuka in the 66th minute, and came up with a strategy of throwing long balls into the front line. Tokyo also substituted Kanazawa with Ikegami, who made his first appearance of the season, as the left midfielder in the 70th minute. In the 72nd minute, Hirayama put pressure on the opponent's goalkeeper, inducing a mistake and resulting in a corner kick. In the far post, Imano connected with Otake's kick, and Ikegami, Kajiyama, and Akamine passed the ball to attack, but they couldn't finish with a shot.

　In the 75th minute, Iwata's forward Nakayama dropped the ball to the right side, and forward Bandai, who had moved to the center, was left free to take a shot. The shot went over the bar and there was no harm done, but Iwata continued to send long balls and early crosses, attacking through forward Bandai and substitute midfielder Namekawa, causing us to lose composure... In the 85th minute, Iwata midfielder Inuzuka's powerful shot hit midfielder Nishi in the front line, changing its course and shaking the net. However, it was ruled as offside for midfielder Nishi, and it seemed like we had escaped the danger.

　In the 89th minute, Iwata MF Nishi received his second warning and was sent off, leaving Iwata with 10 players. It seemed like they could hold on to the win, but then it happened during the 4 minutes of stoppage time. The left side was broken through by DF Kaga, but Bruno QUADROS defended persistently. However, immediately after that, Iwata MF Namiki -> once again DF Kaga broke through the left side and crossed. The ball was cleared temporarily by Shibata's punching, but it was stabbed by the free MF Komano in front of the area, resulting in a goal... Nevertheless, without giving up, Daichi immediately went up the right side and crossed. Hirayama hit a header, but it went to the right, and time was up... They were caught up in the final moments and ended up with a painful draw at home.

　[Player Comments]《Akamine》"It was a match where we could have taken 3 points, but we lost 2 points. I'm very frustrated. (Due to a sudden substitution) I had little time in the first half, so I thought I would take a shot if I had the chance. It was difficult to get into the flow, but I tried to focus on the first 5 minutes. The goal in the second half was possible because Jo KANAZAWA gave me a good pass, allowing me to strike at the right timing from the trap. I was able to score, but the team still couldn't win. Personally, I might have made a bit of an impression, but if the team wins, it would be even more beneficial. I want to contribute to the victory by scoring."《Kanazawa》"We managed to start the match without conceding a goal. We took the lead, and it went according to plan, but after scoring, we might have fallen behind. That led to the final goal conceded. As a defensive midfielder, I have many opportunities to touch the ball. I tried to enjoy playing while considering various roles. Specifically, I focused on maintaining the overall balance and valuing the exchange with the opponent's wing-back and my own full-back. Also, since I have more opportunities to go in front of the goal, I was conscious of scoring. (Regarding Akamine's goal) It happened to spill in front of me, and I saw Akamine's movement, so even though it was a difficult position, I quickly passed the ball. He was making good movements all along, so I tried to keep an eye on him. (What was the decisive moment in the first half?) I thought I had turned the opponent and “got in,” but the next shot went straight to the GK. If we can't score that, it really feels like we can't win..."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "It ended up being a game where we lost 2 points. Until about the 30th minute of the second half, we were able to play our football, and I don't think our defense was broken. However, when Iwata brought in forward Bandai, they clearly started long feeds, and we became a bit flustered. We needed to compete properly, pick up second balls, and when we did pick them up, if we easily gave them back to the opponent, we would receive long feeds again. One of these three things broke down, and we continued to receive long feeds, which caused us to be a bit flustered. In the end, the opponent had a wonderful shot, and even with 10 men, they had the mentality to attack, which we must learn from. However, the players who participated today did well. Kurizawa was involved with the ball a lot and contributed greatly in both attack and defense. It was inevitable that he would tire out a bit after moving so much from the first half. He played with enthusiasm. As for Kanazawa, they maintained balance, and the pass to forward Akamine was a typical ball from him. The left side was a bit tired, so we substituted, but they fulfilled their roles well."

　[Summary of Iwata/Uchiyama Coach's Press Conference] "In the end, the players did their best in the remaining 10 minutes. The movement started early and the support on the ball side was good. I want them to continue doing that for the whole game. I think that's our style of soccer. In the first half, the left side didn't function much in terms of attack, and we couldn't check the opponent tightly in the defensive midfield. Also, when there was a loose ball battle in the midfield, except for MF Nishi, we couldn't win it. In those aspects, we need to play tougher and harder, otherwise the opponent will move us. They moved over long distances and MF Naruoka was also dragged. We need to play a soccer that can dominate the midfield a little more."